Weather updates for Day 2 at Merion Golf Club

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ARDMORE, Pa. – After a pair of weather delays Thursday, there is plenty of play on the docket Friday at Merion Golf Club. The GolfChannel.com team is providing weather updates on Day 2 of the 113th U.S. Open.

7:50 a.m. ET: Right now it is 57 degrees outside. While the 5 a.m. forecast released by the USGA doesn't indicate that we can expect thunderstorms today, there is a 60-percent chance of scattered showers this morning, then again around 5 p.m. - Jay Coffin

7:40 a.m. ET: The USGA has announced that Round 2 starting times are delayed 3 hours. So Tiger Woods will begin his second round at 10:44 a.m. ET. Phil Mickelson will begin at 3:41 p.m. ET. - Jay Coffin

7:13 a.m. ET: The horn blows and Round 1 is underway. Luke Donald is the leader at 4 under but has five holes remaining in the round. Tiger Woods faced a 4-footer for par on 11 and made the putt. He's at 2 over par. - Jay Coffin

8:20 p.m. ET (6/13/13): The first round has been suspended for the day and players are allowed to finish the hole that they're on. Luke Donald made birdie on the 13th hole to take the outright lead over Phil Mickelson, who shot 67 and is 3 under par. Tiger Woods opted not to putt a 5 footer for par that he was facing on the 11th hole. Adam Scott was 3 under after 11 holes.

Play will resume at 7:15 a.m. Friday.

6:55 p.m. ET: The horn sounded and the second delay of the first round of the U.S. Open is over. This one lasted exactly 45 minutes.

6:48 p.m. ET: The USGA has announced that players will get back into position. When that happens play will begin, which will be in the next 5-10 minutes.

6:45 p.m. ET: The USGA tells ESPN that it continues to monitor the situation. Weather continues to improve and players have been urged to stretch and keep limber.

6:22 p.m. ET: Players have been held in place because USGA officials believe this storm cell is going to move quickly. The USGA will provide another update at 6:30.

6:10 p.m. ET: The first round of the U.S. Open has been suspended for the second time today. Phil Mickelson is the leader in the clubhouse at 3 under par. Peter Hedblom has played seven holes and is 3 under par, too. Tiger Woods was facing a bogey putt on the fifth hole when the horn blew. He was 1 over par at the time.

5:15 p.m. ET: It begins to rain harder and the clouds are getting darker. Following this morning's weather delay, severe weather was forecast for 6 p.m.

4:52 p.m. ET: A light rain begins to fall as the top-three players in the world (Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott) complete their first hole.

1:25 p.m. ET: We've played 1 hour, 15 minutes without interruption here in the first round of the U.S. Open. Charl Schwartzel, Tim Clark and Ian Poulter all lead at 2 under par. Phil Mickelson has played nine holes and is 1 under par. According to weather.com we're scheduled for some more severe weather around 6 p.m. ET. - Jay Coffin

12:10 p.m. ET: The first round resumes and Charl Schwartzel and Charley Hoffman both immediately make birdie to tie Ian Poulter for the lead at 3 under par.

11:12 a.m. ET: Play will resume at 12:10 p.m. ET. Afternoon starting times will be delayed 3 hours, 34 minutes.

11:04 a.m. ET: While watching players warm-up on the practice range via TV, the USGA announces that players are now allowed to warm-up on the practice range. Another update coming soon. Or something like that. - Jay Coffin

11:15 players will head to range and try to take advantage of the weather window.More rain coming but #letsplay

10:08 a.m. ET: This is the 13th time in 25 PGA Tour events so far this season where there has been some sort of a suspension of play. There have been 30 total delays over the first five months of the year. This whole year on the PGA Tour, it seems like weve had a lot of card games and waiting around, Kevin Streelman said earlier this week. I wasnt very good at it when I was 22. At 34, I realize this is my profession. I also believe that you can take out a good percentage of the field by staying patient, by being smart and just accept the situation that you have instead of moaning and complaining. - Jason Sobel

8:40 a.m. ET: The horn sounded at 8:36 a.m. ET, suspending play for the first time in the first round of the U.S. Open at Merion. Ian Poulter birdied each of the first three holes and leads the championship at 3 under par. Nicolas Colsaerts, Charl Schwartzel, Tim Clark and Charlie Hoffman are each tied for second place at 2 under. Phil Mickelson, who flew from California overnight to make his 7:11 a.m. tee time, has made one bogey, one birdie and is even par after five holes.

Tour weatherman says a bow echo about an hour away. Boo Weekley might like the sound of a bow echo, but no one else should. #USOpen#Derecho

6:54 a.m. ET: Despite an unwelcoming forecast and looming skies, play at the 113th U.S. Open got underway on Thursday morning at Merion.

A line of storms approaching from the west had bypassed the area early on Day 1 and the rain chances remained at about 45 percent until 10 a.m. ET, but increase dramatically (80 percent by 5 p.m.) later in the day.

“It’s fine,” smiled Paul Casey early Thursday. “We can start tomorrow if need be and finish Monday. I don’t care if we play all next week, it’s a major.”

Merion was drenched with 6 ½ inches of rain over the last few days, but had dried out considerably since Monday’s storms. - Rex Hoggard

5:06 p.m. ET (6/12/13): Derecho | da'ra? ch o | noun: a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms and sometimes thunderstorms that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging straight-line winds.

THIS is scheduled to hit HERE Thursday afternoon at Merion.

Yes, according to several weather reports a derecho has been forecast to slam through the area and wreak major havoc on the first round of the 113th U.S. Open.

“There could be some really high winds with us, potentially damaging winds, even some hail,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “That’s kind of worst-case scenario. It’s going to be probably mid-afternoon or later, too. So I think [Thursday] morning we’re looking OK.”

At the time of this posting, one weather report says there is a 60 percent chance of showers beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Those showers are expected to turn to thunderstorms around lunchtime and the most dangerous weather with heavier winds is scheduled to hit around 4 p.m. ET.

Wednesday at the U.S. Open, derecho was the word of the day. Seems it's likely that’ll be the same case Thursday too. - Jay Coffin